The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-09-26
G !l.l,lI, ,G'i;'',lt|:ellliqe,reer:
Once, Nos. 10 and 81 fourteenth street.

UAN 2alARl " !;
Once, Nos. 70 and 81 Fourteenth Street.
THE STATE SOLDIEKY. ls5
Tho Need OF u Law to Poster a Yest Viz
ag ginla Nalltla Organization.
To he Editor Of tte lHieltisener. n,
sIR:-The recent military pageant /,
celebration Of the PRONUNCIATION OF thu
constitution, in Philadelphia, shows thu
the efficiency OF that constitutional arm
Of tho government called the militia, ant
had awakened an interest among military
men heretofore unknown.
At no other period In the history O
this country, in time Of peace. has any
military display been 90 great, grand and
imposing. In point OF numbers In parade
1t has only been exceeded by tho jubilee
procession In England few weeks since
but considering the fact that the city oil
Philadelphia quattered aud furnished sub.
eistence to the 10000 troops, representing
the alxteen States and the District Of Co.
lumhia In tho parade it Is a greater &C.
complishment than that Of tho city oil
London on that occasion. 5'a1'
Many OF the States Of this Union make
provisions by law for the organization and
equipment OF militia, and substantial
appropriations for Ito support. -
II Is evident from the provisions OF the
Constitution, and tho reservations therein
made to the States, that the army upon
which this country must rely in case OF
necessity, and the one on which II has re.
lied In every struggle Of the past, is the
volunteer noldisry OF tho States, The
strength at which the regular army OF tho
United States has been maintained for the
past twenty.eight years proves this to be
true. In 1850 tho regular army numbered
l6.307 men aud officers; when the war
closed In 1866 1t numbered 40 ,24G msn and
olliceIs, and today the whole numbar OF
men In the army and navy il SC. 249, about
one Tor every 600 Of our total population.
Tho armies Of tho different, and principal
countries OF Europe, are much larger !;
Russia maintains an army Of 1,o04 ,5O7
men; Italy, 7G5.S20; France, 1854 +;
Germany, 4G2.G7S; Austria, 20S 40l, and
Great Britain, PSI, 74B, averaging one man
in the army for every eighty OF The avvro.
gate population oil these countries.
In none Of these countries except Great
Britain Is a militia provided for by law,
in which country there may bs $40 600 or.
ganizad militia, In addition to the regular
army OF the Kingdom. In France the
National Guard was abolished by law in
1872. 5la !" ~
These figures suggest tho fac! that 1t Ia
much more difficult to maintain peace
and order in countries where the powcrs
Of the people arc curtailed, il We are to
judge by their large armies in time Of
peace, than under government "of
the people, by tho people, and for the
people," $50 a}
The passage by Congress OF the sewell
or Public Bill No. 81, ut ito laat session, is
evidence Of the general governments al.
probation OF the State military forces, and
its reliance upon them in tina of need
and danger. 0S;,'-s'r-
This bill WIS passed last February and
apprcpriates SiO0. 900 annually for the pur-
pose OF providing arme, ordnance stores,
quartermastars' etores and camp eaui.
page for issue to the militia OF the States
according to their respective number of
Senator'S and Represe natives in Congress,
and to the Territories and District Of Co.
lumbla in such proportion and under ouch
regulations as the President may prs.
cribe: but no State or Territory shall re.
ceive any OF the benefits Of this sppropris.
ton unless the number Of its regularly
enlisted, organized and uniformed active
militia shall be st least one hundred men
tor each Senator and Representative to
which the State is entitled in the Com
grcEs OF tho United States.
Tho War Department, showing its in.
terest in the military organisations OF the
several States, cent out in 1856 several reg.
ular army officers 10 visit State encamp.
ments Of troopa, and report upon the
qualifications Of officers, appearance of
men,. uniforms, drill, discipline, target
practice, and sanitary arraugements OF the
camps. --4E,E, -
Among the officers appointed to this
duty were Col. Pennington, Fourth Artil.
lezy, o. s. A., to The Michigan State en-.
campment; Col. Henry W. Gleason, Fifth
Artillery, U. S. A., to New Hampshire en-
campment; Major R. Lodon, Third Artil.
lery, U. s. A., 10 Indiana encsmpment:
Capt. Edward Field, Fourth Artillery, U.
s. A., to. Maine encam pment, and Msio,
Roys! !. Frank, Fira. Artillery, o. S. A.,
to California encanpment. - 81 81. :
The published reporta OF these officers
were generally complimentary to the
troops, and contained many valuable hints
j nd crisicisms on military duty. ~,
The orgss...!sssd and srmed militia force
Of the United States for the year 1856, aa
reported by the Aojutant General OF Che
United StateB to Congress for tho infor'
nation Of tnat body, pending the passage
of tho sewell bill, amounted in the sgere'
cato to 02,754 men, distributed among the
States as follows: Alabama, 1909: Ari
z9ns, 1000; California, 5,27l; Connect.
cut, $3.50; Dakota, !, 500; Delaware, 2S4;
Florida, zoos; Georgia, 3,048; Illinois,
3 0Sl; 1ndisna, 2,9l6; Iowa, 1850; Kan.
sss,- ,042; Kentucky, S5S; Massachusetts,
1874; Michigan, 2,5l7; Minnesota, 1921
Missouri, 2.4S8; Mississippi, 5000, organi.
cation not yet complete; Nebraaks, BIS
Nevada, 4S7; New Hampshire, l,22I; New
jersey, S.725; New York, 10 40; Nost!,
Carolina, LOT; Ohio, 5, us; PennBylva.
nis, S,271; Rhode leland, 1885; South
Carolina, 4. 4S0; Texas, '2,52S; Vermont,
729; Virginia, 1882 West Virginia, 2O4
Wisconein, 2,270, New Mexico, 1875
Washington Territory, 4aS; District o.
| Columbia, 500. The States OF Arkansas
aud Tenncseee havo no organized militia
The annual appropriations made for the
support Of the organized militia by the
legislatures Of the several States are a.
follows: Maine, $4,000; New Hampshire
$4,000; Massachusetts, $4,000; Rhode
Island, S2S, 600; Connecticut, $50 900 How
Jersey, s27 GOO; New York, $3.50 900; Penn
sylvsnia, s22O0OO; Maryland, $4,000
South Carolina, 81, 900; Wisconsin, SIC, 200
and IS extra for each man passing inspec
lion; Louieiaaa, s27,5O0; Kentucky
$4,000; Ohio, slOO, Iowa, $4,000
California, $G7, 900; Illinois, Sl60 600: Min